Health Care What is a Health Care Reform Tax Penalty [Calculator]? Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Written by TurboTaxBlogTeam Published Sep 4, 2013 - [Updated Apr 21, 2022] 2 min read You may already know that starting in 2014 most Americans are required to have health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, but did you know that individuals who do not have health insurance could face a tax penalty in 2015? If you already have insurance through your employer, Medicaid, Medicare, or a private provider, you are already covered and will not receive a penalty. If you don’t currently have insurance, there’s a window for enrollment – the government has given families and individuals from October 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014 to purchase health care plans through their state or federal Health Insurance Marketplace. For those who do not plan on purchasing insurance before the March 31, 2014 deadline, the federal government has identified more than 30 ways to qualify for an exemption, including hardship cases. The IRS has a free online tool to determine if you’re eligible for an exemption. A complete list of exemptions is available at Healthcare.gov. Be aware that for 2014, the annual one-time tax penalty will be $95 per adult, or one percent of your total income, based on your income. For uninsured children in your family, the penalty is $47.50 per child, with a family maximum of $285 for the year. Because coverage is assessed on a monthly basis or prorated, you will only owe a portion of the total penalty for the months that you are uninsured. The health care reform tax penalty will be imposed on your 2014 tax return filed in 2015. The annual penalty will increase each year. For 2015, the annual penalty will increase to $325 per adult and $162.50 per child, with a maximum penalty of $975 per family (or roughly two percent of total income depending on family income). In 2016, the annual penalty will be $695 per adult and $347.50 per child, with a max of $2,085 per family, or about two and a half percent of total income depending on family income. There are some individuals who will not be required to purchase health insurance and therefore will not be penalized, including people with income below the IRS requirements for filing taxes, those who qualify for religious exemptions and members of Indian tribes. More questions about the health care reform? Get your answers in the TurboTax community. Previous Post What is Obamacare? Next Post Five Facts the Insured Should Know About Health Care Reform Written by TurboTaxBlogTeam More from TurboTaxBlogTeam 48 responses to “What is a Health Care Reform Tax Penalty [Calculator]?” « Older Comments How much do I pay for health care forv2015: its not 202?16 yet??? I filed my taxes and Turbo tax indicated after filing that I may be able to be reimbursed 975 for the tax penalty of not having health insurance! I have health insurance, so I went in and amended the return to show that I have health insurance and there is no refund coming to me. Did I pay a penalty or not? Because I did owe and I did pay, but there is no form indicating that I paid a penalty. Also, the 975 in penalty would be based on 2015 not the penalty from 2014. This is very confusing and Turbo Tax should really look into a fix for this for 2015 or I’ll be hiring a tax person to ensure I don’t overpay. Please comment back! Unsure about how much I paid!!!!! Also in the same boat and would like to know. I am doing my 2014 taxes and I am doing it online. I got to the insurance question. It asks if I have health care. I said yes. It asked if through obamacare, I said through my job. My refund dropped $500. I got penalized for having healthcare through my job. I like your ideas about reducing costs in the health care system is too good I have ssn,been coverage all year ,but my dependents doesnt,since they have itin number,do i have to pay penalty for them? I have full custody of my son and claim him as a dependent however hia father provides his health insurance. I realize i have to pay a penalty for my own lack of coverage but will also have to pay it for not insuring my son? He has insurance that doesnt seem fair You yourself will have a penalty but your son because your husband provides his insurance will not be charged. I, as well as most hard working American citizens would definitely have health insurance if the premiums were within their budgets. Most of the plans have very high deductibles, which means you more than likely have to pay out of pocket, which is just like being non insured. And if you DO manage to find an affordable plan, try finding a Dr that accepts it. That’s when the fun begins, been there, done that. What if you have insurance under someone else thats paying for family coverage? Would u still get penalized if u dont have your own individual insurance? I am planning to claim my mom as a dependent. I have health coverage. Do I have to buy health insurance for my mom to avoid penalty? She is under 65 years old. « Older Comments Browse Related Articles Health Care Seven Things You Need to Know About Health Care Reform Health Care Health Insurance Marketplace Opens Today! Health Care Health Care Reform Timeline: Important Dates You Need to Remember Health Care Affordable Care Act Update: Enrollment and Coverage Deadlines Clarified Health Care Don’t Forget the Deadline to Purchase Health Insurance is March 31! 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I filed my taxes and Turbo tax indicated after filing that I may be able to be reimbursed 975 for the tax penalty of not having health insurance! I have health insurance, so I went in and amended the return to show that I have health insurance and there is no refund coming to me. Did I pay a penalty or not? Because I did owe and I did pay, but there is no form indicating that I paid a penalty. Also, the 975 in penalty would be based on 2015 not the penalty from 2014. This is very confusing and Turbo Tax should really look into a fix for this for 2015 or I’ll be hiring a tax person to ensure I don’t overpay. Please comment back! Unsure about how much I paid!!!!!
I am doing my 2014 taxes and I am doing it online. I got to the insurance question. It asks if I have health care. I said yes. It asked if through obamacare, I said through my job. My refund dropped $500. I got penalized for having healthcare through my job.
I have ssn,been coverage all year ,but my dependents doesnt,since they have itin number,do i have to pay penalty for them?
I have full custody of my son and claim him as a dependent however hia father provides his health insurance. I realize i have to pay a penalty for my own lack of coverage but will also have to pay it for not insuring my son? He has insurance that doesnt seem fair
You yourself will have a penalty but your son because your husband provides his insurance will not be charged.
I, as well as most hard working American citizens would definitely have health insurance if the premiums were within their budgets. Most of the plans have very high deductibles, which means you more than likely have to pay out of pocket, which is just like being non insured. And if you DO manage to find an affordable plan, try finding a Dr that accepts it. That’s when the fun begins, been there, done that.
What if you have insurance under someone else thats paying for family coverage? Would u still get penalized if u dont have your own individual insurance?
I am planning to claim my mom as a dependent. I have health coverage. Do I have to buy health insurance for my mom to avoid penalty? She is under 65 years old.